Caught Between Two Homers

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Technical Editor Ralph Naranjos report on risk management in this months issue sent me scouring the Internet for the origins of risk. Most dictionaries trace the word back to the 17th-century Italian riscare or rischiare, translated as to run into danger.

However, the etymology I found most fascinating came from Rolf Skjong, a Norwegian scientist and bureaucrat involved in maritime safety regulation. According to Skjong, the word comes the Greek navigation term rhizikon, rhiz, which means root, stone, cut of the firm land and was a metaphor for difficulty to avoid at sea.

The root in question is that of a lone fig tree protruding from the cliffs of Scylla, where Odysseus clung desperately until rescued by a turtle. Our hero got himself into this pickle the same way most of us do. He messed with the wrong guy (Zeus), went heavy on the wine, and let a witch (Circe) do his routing.

Circe tells him to avoid the Charybdis whirlpool by steering close to the cliffs of Scylla, where a monster dwells: Hug Scyllas crag . . . top speed! Better by far to lose six men and keep your ship than lose your entire crew. Poor Odysseus, so cursed by fate, loses both ship and crew, . . . and is left clinging to his rhiz.

To be caught between Charybdis and Scylla-that pretty much sums up the plight of the cruising sailor today, particularly the one who is intent upon chipping away every risk.

From Pascals coin-flipping days to modern-day chaos theory, the final word on risk-taking belongs to the realm of mathematics. Quantitative risk analysis, now carried out by computer, underpins almost everything we do. The beds we sleep in, the cars we drive, the boats we sail-somewhere along the production line, a circumspect microchip has evaluated the chance of bad things coming our way.

Our fascination with reducing risk has engendered a multi-billion-dollar insurance industry and filled glass towers with bureaucrats like Skjong, who, while they appear to be squeezing the fun out of life, are pulling levers to help preserve our days. Taming risk isn’t cheap or easy. This is why the debate between industry self-regulation-widespread in the marine business-and government oversight has become so heated recently.

Virtually every organization that sets recreational boating safety standards is to some degree advised by people employed within the industry being regulated. These inside experts provide important guidance and input. Sometimes this arrangement works amazingly well; other times, you can see the feathers in the foxes teeth.

The marvelous thing about sailing is that no matter whos watching over our world, no matter how many certification stamps we have on our boat and its equipment, no matter how many licensed pros have verified that our systems comply with protocols, risk is ever-present. To me, one line in Naranjos analysis of risk rings louder than the others. To be completely safe under sail means the dock lines will remain fastened more often than not.

For some of us, that element of risk is precisely what draws us to sailing. It helps confirm a belief that perhaps not every flip of the coin or roll of the dice boils down to luck and algebra. As we hand-steer in a steep following sea, or reef down in a midnight squall, the sense that we can be masters our fate is too compelling to dismiss. Sure, the witch may have steered us wrong, and Zeus may have conjured up an epic gale, but ultimately, our survival depends our own good sense to reach for that thin root.

For me, sailing is the surest evidence of free will-proof that we bear responsibility for our words and deeds. And in those instances when even our best efforts arent enough, we can take comfort in the words of another Homer (Simpson, of cartoon fame): Im a risk-taker. Thats why I have so many adventures.

I believe he says this words just before his car plunges toward a cliff.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.